This book examines the representation and misrepresentation of queer people in true crime, addressing their status as both victims and perpetrators in actual crime, as well as how the media portrays them.The chapters apply an intersectional perspective in examining criminal cases involving LGBTQ people, as well as the true crime media content surrounding the cases. The book illuminates how sexual orientation, gender, race, and other social locations impact the treatment of queer people in the criminal legal system and the mass media. Each chapter describes one or more high-profile criminal cases involving queer people (e.g., the murders of Brandon Teena and Kitty Genovese; serial killer Aileen Wuornos; the Pulse nightclub mass shooting). The authors examine how the cases are portrayed in the media via news, films, podcasts, documentaries, books, social media, and more. Each chapter discusses not only what is visible or emphasized by the media but also what is invisible in the accounting or societal focus surrounding the case. Lesser-known (but similar) cases are used in the book to call attention to how race, gender, sexuality, sexual orientation, social class, and/or other features influence the dominant narrative surrounding these cases. Each chapter addresses “teachable moments” from each case and its coverage, leaving readers with several considerations to take with them into the future.
Goldberg, A. E. (2023). LGBTQ Family Building: A Guide for Prospective Parents. Washington, APA.
The path to becoming a parent is complicated for LGBTQ people. Some LGBTQ people don’t consider parenthood because of stereotypes and barriers, while others are interested in parenthood but unsure about the first steps or overwhelmed by the path to take. Still others are discouraged by the attitudes of their family, community, or religion. This book provides LGBTQ parents and prospective parents with the detailed, evidence‑based knowledge they need to navigate the transition to parenthood, and help their children thrive. Dr. Abbie E. Goldberg, psychologist and researcher, uses the results of her LGBTQ Family Building Project to help challenge traditional beliefs that have often been weaponized against LGBTQ people to prevent or discourage them from becoming parents. She walks readers through the various steps and decision points in becoming a parent, describes key research findings on family building, and offers key questions and reader-friendly checklists to easily enable readers to evaluate the LGBTQ friendliness and overall “fit” of adoption agencies, health care providers, day cares, and other institutions.
Goldberg, A. E., & Beemyn, G. (2020) (Eds). The SAGE Encyclopedia of Trans Studies. Sage.
Transgender studies has become increasingly prominent as a field of study over the past several decades, particularly in the last ten years. The experiences and rights of trans people have also increasingly become the subject of news coverage, such as the ability of trans people to access restrooms, their participation in the military, the issuing of driver’s licenses t hat allow a third gender option, the growing visibility of nonbinary trans teens, the denial of gender-affirming health care to trans youth, and the media’s misgendering of trans actors. The SAGE Encyclopedia of Trans Studies is a timely and authoritative source that can help to educate and inform professionals and the public.
Goldberg, A. E. (2019). Open Adoption and Diverse Families. Oxford.
Whereas adoption was once a private affair cloaked in secrecy and sealed records, adoptions in the US today are increasingly open – that is, birth and adoptive families meet and become acquainted before the adoption, and remain in contact once it is complete. Experts agree that open adoption comes with many benefits for both birth families and adoptive families and their children, but what does it actually look like for families experiencing it, and what can we learn from those experiences?
The first of its kind, this edited volume gathers and expands current knowledge on topics such as LGBTQ people’s relationship and dissolution patterns. It addresses practical issues such as mediation with same-sex couples who are separating or divorcing, financial planning, and family therapy for sexual minority parents and their children in the context of divorce/dissolution.
Goldberg, A. E. (Ed.) (2016). The SAGE Encyclopedia of LGBTQ Studies.
This far-reaching and contemporary new Encyclopedia examines and explores the lives and experiences of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) individuals, focusing on the contexts and forces that shape their lives.
LGBT-Parent Families is the first handbook to provide a comprehensive examination of this underserved area. Reflecting the nature of this issue, the volume is notably interdisciplinary, with contributions from scholars in psychology, sociology, human development, family studies, gender studies, sexuality studies, legal studies, social work, and anthropology. Additionally, scholarship from regions beyond the U.S. including England, Australia, Canada, and South Africa is presented. In addition to gender and sexuality, all contributors address issues of social class, race, and ethnicity in their chapters.
Goldberg, A. E. (2012). Gay dads: Transitions to adoptive fatherhood. NYU Press.
When gay couples become parents, they face a host of questions and issues that their straight counterparts may never have to consider. How important is it for each partner to have a biological tie to their child? How will they become parents: will they pursue surrogacy, or will they adopt? Will both partners legally be able to adopt their child? Will they have to hide their relationship to speed up the adoption process? Will one partner be the primary breadwinner? And how will their lives change, now that the presence of a child has made their relationship visible to the rest of the world?
The past several decades have seen increasing controversies over lesbian and gay parenthood. More same-sex couples than ever are becoming parents, while society struggles to define their legal rights pertaining to marriage and parenthood. Against this sociopolitical backdrop, how do same-sex couples transition to parenthood, and what are their experiences as parents? Furthermore, what are the experiences of their children? Lesbian and Gay Parents and Their Children provides a comprehensive overview of the research on same-sex parenthood, exploring ways in which lesbian and gay parents resist, accommodate, and transform fundamental notions of gender, parenting, and family.